Friday, April 21, 2017

MASSACHUSETTS -- The town’s animal control officer was hospitalized Monday morning when she was seriously bitten on the hand by a dog, police said.

Kelly Massey suffered “a significant bite,” and possibly a broken hand, in the incident that occurred about 9:15 a.m. in Fairhaven, according to Mattapoisett Police Chief Mary Lyons.

For reasons that were not completely clear, Massey drove a German Shepherd to the Mattapoisett Animal Shelter "to get shots" according to Mattapoisett Police Chief Mary Lyons.

“While they were preparing the dog for the shots, they removed the muzzle and the dog snapped at Kelly and bit her hand,” said Chief Lyons. “It was a pretty serious bite.”

Fairhaven Town Administrator Mark Rees said he does not know why Ms. Massey took the dog to Mattapoisett instead of using a veterinary hospital closer to the shelter. He did say that he believed Fairhaven had a “longstanding relation­ship” with the Mattapoisett Animal Hospital.